Tufted rug machine design control mechanism



Oct. 4, 1960 R. F. HACKNEY ETAL 2,954,365

TUFTED RUG MACHINE DESIGN CONTROL MECHANISM Filed March 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q i 74 e lnven/ors fiaber/ F Hackney 7 0 Offs C. Payne 72 l V/7/iam M Supp, Jz

- By lhe/r of/omeys Oct. 4, 1960 R.- F. HACKNEY ETAL 2,95 ,865

TUFTED RUG MACHINE DESIGN CONTROL MECHANISM Filed March 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenfors Hackney 0/5 C. Pay/7e WIN/0m M. Sapp, Jr

By fhe/r af/omeys and TUFTEK) RUG MACHINE DESIGN CONTROL MECHANISM Robert F. Hackney, Otis C. Payne, and William M. Sapp, Jn, Dalton, Ga, assignors to Cabin tirafts, Inc., Dalton, Ga, a corporation of Georgia Filed Mar. 15, 1956, Ser. No. 571,630

7 Claims. (Cl. 226-9) This invention relates to a machine for making tufted rugs with variations in the height of pile over the rug surface, some tufts forming the pile being higher than others thereby creating a design or textured appearance in the surface. More particularly, the invention relates to mechanism for causing tufts to be of different heights.

It has been known heretofore to make tufts of difierent heights in tufted rugs by robbing one tuft of yarn as the succeeding tuft was formed. Various mechanisms have been composed to accomplish that end.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel, simple mechanism to cause tufts of different heights to be formed by increasing the feed of yarn when tufts of greater heights are desired and by slowing the feed when the tuft height is to be reduced.

Another object is to provide a single driving or feed control member for a plurality of yarn guiding devices or units to cause fast feed of the plurality of yarns individually fed by said units, and at the same time to provide also a single driving member or feed control member for said plurality of yarn guiding devices to cause slower yarn feed, the yarn being shiftable to be acted on by one or the other of the feed control members as selected.

Another object of the invention is to provide shifting means for such yarn guide devices, subject to control of a pattern drum, to cause yarn to be fed fast or slow and to form high or low tufts, as dictated by the pattern.

Another object of the invention is to provide a driving and control mechanism of the foregoing type wherein a single, fast feed member suffices for all yarns and wherein a pair of slow speed members controls the slow feed for alternate yarns.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the invention is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view partly in section of a portion of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation broken away illustrating one end of the machine embodying the invention as illustrated in Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the pattern drum and associated con-tact fingers for controlling the solenoid valves employed in the invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of tufts formed in a rug by the machine illustrated in Figs. 1-3.

Referring to the drawings, a plurality of the yarns are fed to a plurality of needles which are arranged in .a row as is common in tufted r-ug manufacturing machines. The yarn Y may be caught on a looper after the needle has penetrated the cloth C and may be held during the withdrawal of the needle from the cloth. Since the implements for forming the loops and their operation are well known, no illustration of them is necessary to those skilled in the art.

Although individual yarn ends are fed individually to needles in a bank, the needles are identical and the feeds Patented Oct. 4, 1960 ficient to illustrate and describe a pair of neighboring yarns and their feeds and control, with the understanding that the feed tothe remainder of needles in the bank is duplicated until the desired number of yarn ends and needles are provided.

Journaled in parrallel end plates or castings of a machine frame are three vertically aligned rubber covered yarn feed rolls 12, 14 and 16, preferably of equal diameter. The rolls are mounted .on shafts 13, 15 and -17 which are driven in any suitable manner by a conventional driving means (not shown). The top and bottom rolls 12 and 16 rotate at the same peripheral speed while the middle roll is driven at a faster peripheral speed, for example approximately two to one when twice as much yarn is used in the high loop as in the low loop. The difference in speed between the fast and slow rolls is subject, however, to variations to suit particular conditions encountered in different machines and also to suit different yarns. Also, the speed of all the rolls may be increased or decreased likewise to suit conditions.

For guiding alternate yarn ends there are provided between the top and middle rolls 12 and 14 and between the middle and bottom rolls l4 and 1-6, upper and lower horizontal beams 26 and 30. They are laterally offset from one another sothat yarn guided by them will be parallel and closely adjacent.

All the upper beams 20 and all the lower beams 30 are pivotally mounted on two horizontal parallel shafts 21, 31, one above the other, running lengthwise of the machine and carried in the end plate of the frame. Thus upper and lower tiers of beams are formed.

On one end of the beams, which preferably is bifurcated, are mounted a pair of vertically spaced parallel horizontal guide wheels 22, 24 and 32, 34 which are rotatably carried on axle pins 23, 25 and 33, 35 laterally extending from the bifurcations or beam arms 26, 26

plane being offset from the loops 27, 27'.

to alternate needles are identical. Hence, it will be suf- .yarn guide wheels. The other ends of piston rods 40 and and 36, 36' respectively.

Extending from the ends of the bifurcated arms 26, 26' and 36, 36' are yarn guide loops 27, 27 and 37, 37', respectively, the loops 27, 27' being vertically aligned and loops 37, 37 likewise being vertically aligned, but their Extending from the beam 20 at the fork of the arms 26, 26 is a central yarn guide loop 28. A similar yarn guide loop 38 is similarly located on beam 30.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the yarn A may be led down through the guide loop 27 and around the upper yarn guide wheel 22 and then through the middle yarn guide and down and around the lower yarn guide wheel 24 to the lower loop 27. From the lower yarn guide loop 27' the yarn A goes to a needle.

In similar manner, the yarn B is fed down through the upper yarn guide loop 37 and around the upper yarn guide wheel 32 and then down through the middle yarn guide loop 38 and around the lower guide wheel 34 to the lower guide loop 37'. From thence it goes through a needle adjacent the needle of the yarn A.

In order to feed the yarns slow or fast the beams are tilted to cause the wheel 22 to engage the yarn feed roll 12 and the wheel 34 to engage the yarn feed roll 16;

or they are tilted to cause the wheel 24 and the wheel 32 yarm gnide wheels; 2 4 and 32; against the fastyarn; feed 5 roll; 14; Ont admission. of; air pressure toeither one; or; b0th=0f3the cylinders, thepistons move and the spring bias, is overcome. Thus, the beams are; tilted causing one or bQthrWl'lBElS: 24; 32 to disengage thefast feed,ro ll l4zor-oneon both wheels 22-, 34 to engage the;slowyarn 1O feed:.rolls 1-2;or 16, respectvely.

Control; of air to the cylindersgis by solenoid valves- 602 and 70r ofconventional construction having airinlets. and; exhaust; connections 62, 64 and 72,74, respectively;

andia. connectiont48, 58:respectively to thecylinders 44;.

Stir-respectively.

Each beanr-and its yarn guide wheels together -with,the

pneumatic cylinder: and solenoid control valve may be considerednasa unit; and each unit is drivenselectively by; the: fast roll 1401- one slow drive roll, the upper; 0

units being. driven by, the slow roll 12 and'the-lower units being driven by. the slow roll 16.

The solenoids are connected in series to a source of electric power (not shown) and toswitch fingers66 and 76,- respectively The switch fingers may be flexible; sheet metahstrips which are goodtelectrical conductors; The fingers for theseries of solenoids which control theseries of; pneumatic'cylinders and pistons, and inturn thebeam, and yarn feed, are arranged inarow-and mounted on aninsulated; supporting bar 84 over apattern, drum: 80? so as toengagez and: wipe over the surfacevthereot". The. drum is 1 of; conducting material and connected: in: the. power circuit; A pattern 82 of non-conducting sheet ma: terial is adhered=tothe-surface of: the drumsothat-the;

circuitiis broken whenthe patterncomes under afinger.

Thus, the solenoid and cylinder controlled by, thatrfinger; is deactivated and the spring 46 (for example) moves; the-1 bear -20 to :engage the yarn guide wheel 22 withthexslowy yarn feed roll-12;and disengage the wheel 24-.fromv'the fast: 4

yarn feed roll 14.

When the switch finger again comes in contact with the' surface of the drum at a conducting area after the portion'of; thepattern has passed from under the switch finger, the circuit will again be completed to energize the;

solenoidwalve and admit, air to the pneumatic cylinder byaloopcr (not shown) as the needle ascends, forming a tuft of predetermined height. On the next reciprocationof ;the needle, the process is repeatedforming another tuft, of the same height unless; the slow yarn. feediroll is being engagediby-the yarn guide wheel.v In the latter event, .in-'.

sufiicient yarn is fed to form a normal loop, in consequencexof which the. descending needle: robs yarn from tlfe'previously formedtuft, lowering'its height, inorder to have enoughzyarn'to form the new tuft.

Erom-the foregoing it willbe observed that by feed ing the yarn slower or faster the tufts formedin the' rug will be of different heights and'thereby a design will be formediin the surface of the rug. Whether the design: is lindentcd'into the surface or=israised above thesurface ofethe rug, in other. words whethervthe design appears to be; carvedinto on to be embossed-upon the rug, willdepend on how the pattern design is applied to the drum. From the foregoing it will also beobserved--' that by havingasingle fast,yarnfeed-control roll all'ofthe yarns cantbeicontrolled selectively to have their feed increased frorn that: one driving or yarn-feed=control rolls It will be obvious that it may not be necessary to have two slow yarn-feed-control rolls, but that for economy of space it may be desirable in many, if not in most cases, to employ two slow speed rolls. I

Many modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilledzintthe art. Therefore the in venti on is not limited to the specific form and configuration illustrated-i What is claimed is: t

1; In a tufted rug making machine having means for producinga desigmby forfrnationof high and lowpile tufting and includinga bank of'reciprocating needles for carrying yarnthrough a clothbacking to, form loops, a feed means for the yarn'comprising aplurality of rotating power-driven parallel: yarn feed-rolls one of which is rotated faster than the remainder, a plurality of individual units each adapted to guide and control the feed of yarn; said; unitsbeinglocated side by side in two rows one abovethe-other, andeach unit comprising two rotatable yarn guide-wheels.simultaneously shiftable to engage and be rotated-by; either said fastor a slow feedroll selectively,;pivotally mountedshifting means on which said yarn guide wheels are mounted, and selecting means including a pneumaticcylinder, having a piston therein and a solenoid valve controlling admisisonof: air to and dischargeof air fromsaid cylinder to selectively operate each shifting meansindividually, one fast and. one slow yarn feed roll-serving a rowvof said units.

0 said fast orslow'feed roll means including a pneumatic cylinder havinga piston therein-and'a solenoidvalve conheightof a tufbisreducediwhen the slower feed; roll is engaged, onezfasttandone slow yarn-feed roll-servinga rowof'said-units.

3. lnaituftedrug; making machineas claimed in claim 2 having selecting means including a pattern;on;.a -moving 0 surfacehavingthe design desired to appear in the rug,

electrical means responsive to design variations in the pattern on said moving surfaceto operate said shiftable support to cause the design to appear irrthe rug.

4; In-a' tufted rug-making machine having means for producing a, design by; formation of high and low pile tufting and including aplurality of reciprocating needles for-carrying yarnthrough a cloth backing to form loops,

a feed means for the yarn comprising a plurality of rotatingrpower-driven parallel yarn feed rolls one of which iS-l'Oiflifid 'f3Si61" than the remainder, a plurality of units to guide andicontrol the fecdof yarn; said units being rlocated side by side in two rows one above the other,

and each unit comprising two rotatable yarn guide-wheels simultaneously shiftable to; engage and be rotated by either, saidtfast orya slow feed 'roll selectively, pivotally.

mounted-'ishifting means on which said yarn guide wheels I are mounted; and selecting means including a pneumatic cylinder' having a: piston therein and a solenoid valve controlling'admission of airto 'anddischarge of air from said cylinder to operatesaid shifting means, one fast and one slow yarn feed-roll serving a row of said units; said I selecting means including a pattem-having electrically conductive and non-conductive portions laid out on a movingsurface having the design dmired to appear in operation of the shifting means for said units individually, and electric switching means operated by the pattern on said moving surface to control said individually electromagnetically responsive means.

5. In a tufted rug making machine having means, for producing a design by formation of high and low pile tufting and including a plurality of reciprocating needles for carrying yarn through a cloth backing to form loops, a feed means for the yarn comprising a plurality of rotating power-driven 'yarn feed rolls one of which is rotated faster than the remainder, a plurality of units to guide and control the feed of yarn, said units being located side by side in a row, each unit comprising a shiftable support, rotatable yarn guide means on said support adapted to engage and be rotated by either said fast or slow feed roll, means including a pneumatic cylinder having a piston therein and a solenoid valve controlling admission of air to and discharge of air from the cylinder to shift said suport to accomplish said alternate engagement in consequence of which the height of a tuft is reduced when the slower feed roll is engaged, one fast and one slow yam-feed roll serving a row of said units; and selecting means including a pattern having electrically conductive and non-conductive portions laid out on a moving surface having the design desired to appear in the rug, electromagnetically responsive means to cause operation of the shiftable support for said-units individually, and electric switching means operated by the pattern on said moving surface to control said individually electromagnetical ly responsive means.

6. In a tufted rug making machine having means for producing a design by formation of high and low pile tufting and including a plurality of reciprocating needles for carrying yarn through a cloth backing to form loops, a feed means for the yarn comprising a plurality of rotating power-driven yarn feed rolls one of which is rotated faster than the remainder; a plurality of units to guide and control the feed of yarn, said units being located side by side in a row, each unit comprising rotatable yarn guide means shiftable to engage and be rotated by either said fast or a slow feed roll selectively, shifting means to cause said selective engagement; and selecting means to operate said shifting means, one fast and one slow yarn feed roll serving a row of said units, said selecting means including a pattern having electrically conductive and non-conductive portions laid out on a moving surface having the design desired to appear in the rug, electromagnetically responsive means to cause operation of the shifting means for said units individually, and electric switching means operated by the pattern on said moving surface to'control said individually electromagnetically responsive means.

7. In a tufted rug making machine having means for producing a design by formation of high and low pile tufting and including a plurality of reciprocating needles for carrying yarn through a cloth backing to form loops, a feed means for the yarn comprising a plurality of rotating power-driven yarn feed rolls one of which is rotated faster than the remainder, a plurality of units to guide and control the feed of yarn, said units being located side by side in a row, each unit comprising a shiftable support, rotatable yarn guide means on said support adapted to engage and be rotated by either said fast or a slow feed roll, means to shift said support to accomplish References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 868,712 Shover Oct. 22, 1907 2,670,835 Huttmann Mar. 2, 1954 2,782,741 Smith Feb. 26, 1957 2,810,471 Shattuck Oct. 22, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 33,238 Germany Oct. 1, 1885 

